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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47197	The way cast up, and the stumbling-blocks removed from before the feet of those who are seeking the way to Zion, with their faces thitherward containing an answere to a postcript, printed at the end of Sam Rutherford's letters, third edition, by a nameless author, indeed not without cause, considering the many lyes and falshoods therein, against the people, called Quakers, which are here disproved, and refuted / by George Keith ...	Keith, George, 1639?-1716.; Rutherford, Samuel, 1600?-1661.	1677 (1677)	Wing K233; ESTC R19568	115,272	246

in the matters of the Worship of God would readily be quite spoyled and they be necessitated to betake themselves to other callings to gaine a livelyhood to themselves and familys seing there would be no use for studyed sermons and their rhetoricall conn'd discourses by which they have laboured to tickle the ears and please the fancys of their hearers and have done all their art or eloquence could to reach the natural affections of people But now the Lords chosen people that are taught by the true Shepherd Jesus Christ have learned to know his voyce from the voyce of a stranger and to feel more of the true Life of Jesus Christ raised up in their hearts by a few words spoken from that Life though it be but in a homely way by a Trades-man or a poor handmaid then ever they sensibly felt by the most eloquent and meer artificial Preachers that are strangers to this Life and therefore it is but little wonder though these men stretch forth and employ the most of their Rhetorick and parts to declare against us both in pulpit and print For they homologate that word which Erasmus spake concerning Luther that it was a hardtask he had taken in hand seing the Popes mi●re and the Monk● bellys stood in the way So it is with the Lords Witnesses in this day their work would be easier in promoting the true Reformation of Gods worship and people if the pride greedyness of the Clergy their esteeme with power over the people their stipends set rents were not concerned for they walk no further by Scripture rule though they call it their onely rule then the Scripturs do stand with their interests Hence though there be no warrand to admitt of any to be members of the Christian Church but true Believers that know upon what ground they owne the Christian Faith yet they will have all the Subjects of the Nation whether they have any evidence of Faith or not to be members of their Church that their power may be of as large extent as that of the Civil Magistrate yea without any Scripture warrant they take Infants to be members by sprinkling them though they have no better warrand for joyning men and women in marriage together then a Popish Canon yet such is their love to have a hand in all the concernments of the people that they must needs be the instruments against which with many more of this nature we beare our Testimony and therefore no wonder they rage so much against us Now there being no formall charge in all the said bitter postscript set down against us but that false one that we put a false Christ in stead of the true Iesus deny Christ to be the second Person of the Trinity Iesus the son of Mary to be the true Christ alone c. as he goes on in that pag 553. without any proof it shall here suffice to say those things being so fully answered in this following Treatise and also in other books of our Friends The Lord knoweth we are shamelesly traduced slaundered in this matter as in most of other things charged upon us by our adversarys and it can not be but strange to me that any who pretend to be Christians or Gospel-Ministers should be so impudent or otherwise so grossely ignorant if not malicious in their calumnys seing it hath so often been published both by word and writ and in print that we owne no other Saviour but Iesus Christ borne of the Virgin Mary and crucifyed at Ierusalem and that the Lords People never had have or ever shall have remission of sins but through the meri●s and vertue of that precious blood and sufferings which our Lord Iesus the Onely begotten Son of God did undergoe and shed at Jerusalem that He is true God and Man yea what ever the holy Scripturs of Truth do witness concerning him that we dearely owne with our souls and hearts avouching with a firme faith that the same Christ hath given a measure of Light to every man Joh. 1 9. Tit. 2 11. which is of a Divine Supernatural Substantial being a beame and ray of his Blessed Spirit to convince the world of sin and duty sufficient to bring all men to Salvation being joyned unto and rightly improven according to the testimony of many places of holy Scripture which call him the Light of the world and a Light to inlighten the Gentiles the true Light that enlightens every man that cometh into the world and that the Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared unto all men teaching us that denying ungodlynesse and worldly lusts c. This is the free Gift which Christ hath purchased Rom. 5 18. and therefore ought to be taken heed to and believed in as Iohn 12 36. For Christ is given to be a Leader to his people and hath promised to be with them to the end of the world and this is by his spirituall and inward appearance in the Hearts of men And becaus we beare our Testimony to this appearance of Christ in us shall we be therefore thus malitiously traduced by such prejudicated men I shall wish no worse to him or them but the Lord forgive them and open their eyes seing I know some that have been little inferiour to them in prejudice in a day to whom God hath shewed mercy and therefore my bowels are moved for such This man also chargeth us that we are greater enemys to none then to the faithfull Ministers and eminent labourers in the Gospel as he doth expatiate at large in the beginning of that page 556 in the Postscript To which I reply passing by his ungodly and unchristian expressions and Epithetes that we have ever had a reverent esteeme of all faithfull ministers that in simplicity and sincerity of Heart have endeavoured to preach the Gospel though in many things short of these blessed discoverys God hath manifested to us and we do remember them that were such with that due respect that becomes as having been faithfull according to their measure in their day and were blessed to be instruments in Gods hand to the good of many that in singlness and sincerity of heart did heare them But it is not the duty of any Christian to stand still and shut out any further discovery then they attained unto for as all the degrees of the Apostasy came not at once nor with the first or second trumpet Rev. 8. so neither is the Reformation to be compleated by the first or second vial Rev. 16. And therefore though they studyed Sermons yet many of them at times spake as the Lord gave it them witnesse Iohn Knox who told the Queen of Scotland when she was threatning him as Alexander Petry in his History of the Kirk sheweth Pag. 236. that in the preaching place he was not master of his own tongue but behoved to speak as God commmanded him c. So many good men after the Reformation from Popery could be

but backward and so provoked the Lord. 6. The body or generality of the Presbyterian Church full of ignorance and guilty of swearing drinking drunk and other gross sins 7. Some among the Presbyterians that belong to the true Church of God 8. A National Church as National can not be a Church of Christ. 9. The Presbyterian Church deeply tinctured with the great sins of persecution and hypocrisy 10. Other Churches beyond the Presbyterian since the primitive times Now let us proceed to hear further what this Author saith pag. 1. lin 22. Forsakers of a Church so often honoured by receiving signall testimonys of the Bridegrooms love towards her as his spouse in rejoycing over her with singing and so frequently helped to give him testimonys of her endeared affection to him as her Head Husband supreme Lord and-Governour In this we may through Grace humbly boast nay despise or envy who will we can not do less without being guilty of the basest ingratitude that we have not been inferior to O blessed be his Grace to whom we ow it and it is for the commendation of his glorious goodness we mention it whatever we were beyond any Church we know upon the Earth Answer 1. That this is not an humble boast through Grace as the Author would have it but a proud boast through flesh I hope by the Grace of God to make appear The Apostle saith 1 Tim. 3. That in the last days perilous times shall come for men shall be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud blasphemers c. having a forme of godlyness but denying the power thereof from such turn away That the reformation of the Church of Scotland was not a matter to make so great a boast of as this Author doth I need goe no further for a proof then to S. R. himself who was so great a S●e● in this man's account 3. Let us then hear what S. R. saith of the Presby●erian Reformation Ep. 32. part 2. and this in the year 1640. When Presbytery was up most over the whole Nation and the Bishops were all excommunicated and fled It is true saith he in his Ep● to Iohn Fennick in a great part what ye write of this Kirk that the letter of Religion onely is reformed and scarce that I do not believe our Lord will build his Zion in this Land upon this skin of reformation so long as our scumm remaineth and our heart-idols are kept this work must be at a stand And therefor our Lord must yet sift this Land and search us with candles c. This is a notable testimony and it appears plainly unto me that this Iohn Fennick to whom he wrot had a true sight of the defectivness of the Presbyterian reformation of which he wrot in a letter to S. R. and which S. R. did as freely acknowledg In which Testimony note these particulars 1. That he saith it is true in great part that the Letter in Religion onely is reformed where take notice of the word onely 2. That even scarcely the Letter is reformed so that the Presbyterian reformation was but as the skin of a mans body wanting flesh bones and sinews 3. That the Presbyterian National Church was not come to the true fundation of a Gospell Church which his words clearly hold forth I do not believe said he our Lord will build his Zion upon this skin of reformation therefor not the skin but some better foundation not yet discovered to the Presbyterians must be that on which God will build his Church according to S. R. And indeed this abundantly proveth that the Presbyterians began too hastily to build their Church and did not follow Gods method so that the Presbyterian Church could not say unto the Lord as Iob said chap. 10 vers 10. Hast thou not poured me out as milk and curdled me like cheese thou hast cloathed me with skin and flesh and hast fenced me with bones and sinews thou hast granted me life and favour and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit But the National Presbyterian Church being onely letter and skin having neither flesh nor bones not sinews how can it be a true Church of Christ how can it have life and spirit And surely that 's a great defect for as the bare skin of a man can not be called a man so nor can the bare skin of a Church be called a Church But 4. he telleth them of the remaining of their scum and heart-idols this sheweth they were no true spouse of Christ for he will marry himself to none who keep idols in their hearts And 5. he tells that the Land must be sifted and searched with candles and surely that was very needfull for the Presbyterian reformation was but as a wide riddle that did let through much more cha●● and straw then true corn I mean chaffy and strawy Professors to be members of the Church 3. Many thousands of them really not deserving to be members of a wel ordered humane society becaus of the grossness and scandalousness of their conversation farr less of such a Divine fellowship common wealth as the true Church of Christ is I do not in the least doubt of it but the Lord had in that day as I believe he now hath many that were precious untohim among them called Presbyterians and did and do belong to the Catholick and universall Church even as I believe God hath many such not onely among them called Independents and Baptists but also among Lutherans Episcopalians and Papists 4. Moreover that about 40 years ago and upwards there was a very precious life appearing and breaking forth among them called Presbyterians in some corners in this Nation especially in some places in the West I do not question yea it is abundantly sealed in my heart that it was truely so and happy had they been if they had kept faithfull unto that for a precious tenderness there was and a precious sense of life and feeling of Gods blessed power among them especially at their privat meetings And also this life and power did in a blessed measure attend some Preachers in those days in so much as divers particulars were wonderfully reached changed in some parts a good simplicity was in divers so that I am fully perswaded it was a time of love wherein the Lord allured them and led them into the wilderness and spake comfortably unto them or spake unto their hearts as the words of the Scriptur are Hosea 2. And God remembred their simplicity and tenderness and this first love and kindness of their youth was very dear unto him although even in that day there were many errors and weaknesses among them yet the Lord winked at these things pittying them for his Seeds sake and with a regard to that honest simplicity and love that was among them who had they continued faithfull to that manifestation which was as the dawning of the morning no doubt the day of the Lord would have arisen among

them and the true Light would have shined in that brightness as to have discovered unto them those errors they should have forsaken and these Truths they should have embraced 5. But alas this glory of God did not long continue to appear among that handfull who in measure saw it and tasted of the sweetness of it but they not following the Lord in his further requirings and leadings but standing still and in divers things going back again as I have shewed in divers particulars in my book called Help in time of need printed in the year 1665. the Lord was provoked to withdraw 〈…〉 presence by degrees from them till at last 〈◊〉 ●ecame opposers and persecuters of the sa●e appearance of God in others rising up in more power and glory But the greatest power and glory that ever shined in this Nation in the purest and best times since the first reformation from Popery reached onely some few particular meetings and persons by which they came to have a sense of life and feeling of Gods power in their meetings 6. Whereas still the body of the National Church continued full of thick darkness knowing nothing of the power of God and for most part extreamly ignorant of the very first Doctrinal principls of Chri●●ianity as also they still continue at this day Nor was the strong current and stream of profanity ordinary cursing and swearing by the blessed Name of God drinking drunk and other such scandalous practices utterly inconsistent with the least measur of true Christianity ever stopt from running through the body of this Nation but exceedingly abounded ●n most places of the Nation even when the Presbyterian doctrin worship disciplin and government had most sway Of the truth of this there are thousands of witnesses yet alive but especially these ●wo abominable sins of ordinary swearing and pro●aning the Name of God and drinking drunk still ●emained among the plurality of their Church ●embers among which those called the Com●ons had their kind of swearing and these called ●he Gentry had theirs so that the ordinary way ●f swearing would not serve their turn but as they ●xceeded the Commons in outward greatness so 〈◊〉 thought it a property to exceed them in ●●earing more great and terrible oaths and these 〈◊〉 called Gentl-man-oaths which two fearfull 〈◊〉 of later years with many more especially for●●cation and adultery are much increased and ●●ily increasing in that called the National Church ●●ich if not prevented with repentance the ●●rd will certainly punish with great and sore judg●ents 7. So that although I do freely acknowledg that the Lord had and hath among the Presbyterians some who belong to his true Church yet I cannot i● the least acknowledg that ever the National Presbyterian Church was a true Church And that no● onely by reason of the gross and scandalous lives o● the farr greatest number of their Church-members utterly inconsistent with true piety but also by reason of their constitution way of worship disciplin and government 8. Which makes it impossible that ever any National Church can be a true Church of Christ I mea● their sense of a National Church that is to say 〈◊〉 National so that simply becaus men are natives and living in the Nation they and all their posteri●● must be members of the Church and if they be 〈◊〉 willing unto it they must be compelled This is utterly inconsistent with the way th● Christ and the Apostles took to build the 〈◊〉 Church which began I mean the primiti●● Church in th● days of the Apostles in particul●● persons and familys and so spread more and mo●● yet never did take in the whole body of a Natio●● as such It were indeed greatly to be wished 〈◊〉 not onely this Nation but all Nations of the 〈◊〉 were the true Church of Christ but men should 〈◊〉 make such preposterous hast to make Nation● Churches by meer humane law and power 〈◊〉 they should wait on the Lord and joyn with 〈◊〉 ●o do it in his way by his power For it is the power of the Lord that is to make the Nations a willing people and to bow them to a true subjection to the S●●pter and dominion of Christ Iesus Bare humane laws and edicts and decrees will never do it for indeed this hath been the ground and rise of all the persecutions that have been in Christendom first in the times of the Arian and Eutychian Emperors and next when Popery prevailed and Popish Emperors and Kings made compulsive Laws and decrees that all should joyn to the Popish Churches every where which were National so that this form of a National Church under the Gospel is not from Christ and the Apostles for all the primitive Churches were Congregational and not National upwards of the first three hundred years Yea I see no National Church set up in the world till after Constantin and though Constantin gave great encouragment to all to become Christians yet I find not that he forced any to take on the profession of Christianity But these that will have a National Church they will have all others to bow to them and joyn with them and this giveth a natural and most necessary rise to persecution so that all those whom she can not perswade to take on her yoak and become her members the onely remedy in the next place is to force and compell them if she can otherwise her project is spoyl'd she will not be National And as the National Church is always a persecuting Church it is her very nature so it must always be exceeding Hypocriticall seing it begeteth thousands to be its children and members by the meer will and power of man which onely makes hypocrits for the true Children of God who are the true children of the true Church of God Ierusalem from above who is free with all her Children are born not of the will of the flesh nor of man but of GOD so that all that are born of the will and power of man are but bastards and not true Children of GOD nor yet of the true Church 9. And indeed that the National Presbyterian Church was deeply tinctured with these two great sins of Pers●c●tion and Hypocrisy we need seek no other Instances but what most men now living in the Nation have seen with their eyes They did not onely persecut the Bishops who did wel foreesee before hand the cruel usage they might expe●● from them and therefore generally fled out of the Nation before they had opportunity to lay hands on them But some of their party that they got hol● of they made them feel the dint as namely Bishop Wishart who then was not a Bishop but onely of their party this man they imprisoned in the Tolbooth of Edinburgh and used so hardly and unkindly that he could hardly get any to minister to his outward necessitys but had almost perished with want of necessary things for his body And the Lord Cremond who was no Clergy man

15. 22. If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin but now they have nocloake for their sin But may expect to be numbred amongst the enemys of Gods Work It was the commendation of good Men in all ages that they walked sutably to the dispensation of the Lord in their day and this is the great duty the Lord calls for from his people to follow the Lamb wh●thersoever he 〈◊〉 this will be their commendation before the Lord as Rev. 14. 4. When the life Light and power of God removeth from one dispensation to another to be alwayes a follower of that which is our duty for it is not to be expected that Moses or David if they were alive now would looke to find that life in their sacrifices and externall rites which they found when they were upon Earth no this is only to be waited for in the spirituall way of the Gospell worship And to come nearer if Cranmer Hooker and Ridly who were Martyrs for the Protestant faith in beareing witness against the Idolatry of the Masse thought it no small mercy to have the use of a common prayer booke in English no doubt in that day might feel life in it yet when the Light of reformation encreased it discovered that to be a limiting of the Spirit of God in Prayer and consequently had in it self a tendency to deaden the heart by remaining in that formality If they were living now the Lord would require of them to seek after a more Spirituall Way of worship where the pure life of Christ was more to be found and felt then in read prayers Even so now when the Lord is poynting forth a more spirituall way which is by following the pure motions of the Spirit of life in an immediat way upon the heart in all religious dutys the Lord will have all his people to owne that way both in practice and profession and they that will reject this or refuse or oppose it He will no less reckon them as his enemys now then these that have been refusers or opposers of his work in former generations A 3 Obstruction is Truth hath been for most part loaded by its opposers with many heavy slaunders calumnys and lyes and traduced with the nick-names of errour Heresy blasphemy and delusion yea called devilisme and what else malice can invent so Pauls religion was called heresy Acts. 24. 14. and Christians were a sect every where spoken against Acts 23. 22. Yea Christ himself was said to have a Devil Ioh. 8. 48 53. And what wonder then that the opposers of Truth in this day speake so of Truth as it is now manifested The Professors thereof are said to deny Jesus Christ that was borne of the virgin Mary where as they have often testifyed they owne no other Christ but him to be the Saviour of the world that was crucifyed at Ierusalem and this we can say in the uprightness of our hearts as in his sight that searches hearts Our opposers say wee deny the Scriptures of Truth whereas we owne all things therein being rightly translated to be the dictate of the Holy Spirit and that they containe all the substantialls of true religion and whatsoever is contrary to them to be but delusion yea we are content to have all poynts of controversy betwixt us and our opposers to be determined by the Scriptures of Truth We are said to deny the Ministry and ordinances of the Gospell whereas we owne all the true and faithfull Ministers that are called of God and that function and are not meerely men-made Ministers that are made to be Ministers in the meere will of men only endued with some measure of natural and acquired parts and feel not the power and vertue of the life of Jesus Christ dwelling in their hearts without any sense of which power and life they can pray and preach But we owne all Spirituall and living preaching and prayer As for the ordinances called Sacraments we own them only according to Scripture sense viz. that Baptisme which is by the Holy Ghost for Iohn Baptised with water but Christs Baptisme is with the Holy Ghost and with fire Math. 3. 11. Act. 1. 4. This is that one baptisme Eph. 4. 5. The Bread and Wine that is Elementary we deny as being but a carnal ordinance which are all repealed at the time of reformation under the Gospell Heb. 9. 10. as all rites are which stand in meats and drinks washings or Baptismes as the Greek hath it But we owne the Communion of Christs body and blood according to Luk. 6. 53. compared with verse 63. Our opposers say we lay the whole stresse of justification and remission of sins upon our own righteousness and we declare we owne no meritorious cause of the remission of sins but the righteousness blood and sufferings of Jesus Christ that was crucified at Ierusalem and as it was done and performed by the Man Christ born of the virgin Mary and yet we profess none are justified but such as are in a measure sanctified and actually cleansed from sin so as none are justified in their sins These and many more of the like slaunders asserted with boldness and impudence by malicious opposers are no small obstruction to many simple-hearted people who are but too ready to take things of this nature upon trust without tryall and proofe especially if the assertors be in any repute for a piece of seriousness as the Scribes and Pharisees high Priests who were in great authority and esteem with the people and thereby did influence their slender followers to preferre Barrabas a murderer and a robber to Christ Iesus A 4 Obstruction is that Truth when it comes first abroad is at severall great disadvantages in the eyes of the world as first it seldom hath the countenance of Civil authority but mostly is persecuted and laws and statutes made in opposition to it this is universally known in all ages and throughout these Nations where it first appeared Secondly it hath the opposition of the Nationall Clergy so called and of the most learned of that sort of men who have the greatest advantages of authority to influence the body of the Nation see Ioh. 9. 22. For the Iews had agreed already that if any men did confess that he was Christ he should he put out of the Synagogue Thirdly Truth being a witness against the abuse and superstitions which have through length of time and long custome been rooted and strengthned so in a Nation that it needs no less the the power of God to extirpate people can hardly admit to hearken to any testimony against these things whether they be personal or national customes see Mark 7. 9. and he said unto them full wel ye reject the commandement of God that ye may keepe your own tradition It 's not an easie thing to forsake old Customes this hath been a cause why men in all ages have stumbled at the simplicity of truth

Postscript for which he may blame himself for the Truth of God will not want witnesses yet I hope these that are not byassed with prejudice and malice against us will find he hath said nothing but the Truth and vindicated our Principles by solide arguments from Scripture and from the unjust aspersions t●at the Author of the Postscript would fix upon us As for those that are prepossess'd with prejudice what their tohughts will be I shall leave them to the Lord for as one saith Periit judicium ubires transiit in affectum where the affection is forestalled the judgment will never be just but I wish all may be so charitable to their own Souls as to make an impartial and diligent search after Truth and not relie upon the testimony of man especially of that kind of men that any have in most of their controversys against us been found such gross and palpable slaunderers and calumniators that it may seeme strange that ever such impostors should be any more hearkened unto when they have been so often discovered in their bold and impudent lyes even to the conviction of many that are ready to receive all that comes from them as Truth But the cause is the Lords and in his good time he will vindicat his people and his own Truth no less now then in former ages Blessed are they that are not offendded in Christ who has been a stone of stumbling and rock of offence to the wise professing Iewes and foolishness to the ignorant vain Gentiles However this may be constructed it is my real desire to the Lord that all testimonys that come from any of us whether by word or writ may tend to nothing but the true conviction and conversion of the opposers and edification of all the upright in heart that love the prosperity of the kingdom of Jesus Christ on earth this is the sincere desire of him who is A real Friend and wel-wisher to the souls of all men ALEXANDER SKEIN From the Tolbooth of Aberdeen where I am prisoner for the true liberty of all Christians the 20 of the 12 moneth called February 1676 77. SECTION 1. 1. Separation from the Nationall Presbyterian Church no provoking sin why God should give them up who did so separat to the delusions of Sathan 2. But a further step of reformation 3. The inconsistency of this Presbyterians high commendations of S. R. and of his Epistles with the Presbyterians doctrin that Immediat Revelation is ceased since the Apostles dayes 4. Other Book● more wort●y of Commendation 5. That Immediat Revelation is not ceased 6. A deceitfull distinction of some Presbyterian Teachers refuted IN my answer to this Postscript I shall not repeat all his words for that is needless the book being current in the hands of Professors but onely mark the most remarkable and he that will may be at the paines to read the passages at more length in the book it self Pag. 1. lin 7. Thou art desired to take notice t● what dreadfull and strong delusions such who were ring-leaders in this separation c. Answer He meaneth some persons at Aberdeen who some years agoe did separat from the Nationall Church in the time of the Presbyteriall government so called onely as to the use of these externall signes of bread and wine being so burdened in their Consciences even in that dy to partak with such and eat with them at that they judged to be the Table of the Lord many of whom were openly known to be scandalous and these passed under the name of Independents or of the Congregationall way Now this so small a separation this nameless Author doth ●o aggravat as if it were the main and greatest provocation why the Lord as he judgeth did give them up to the ●trong delusions of Quakerism But why may we nor much rather conclude that the Lord regarding their sincerity and tenderness of Conscience in making that separation such as it was did reward them with a further discovery and sight of some precious truths formerly hid from them which though this Author calls strong delusions we know are no delusions at all but most usefull comfortable Truths But if falling into Quakerism be such a proper and peculiar punishment for them who separated from Presbytery so called how is it that so few of that separation I mean of them called Independents have joyned with the way of Quakerism in England but have been so great persecuters of it that in new England the Independents being gone from their first tenderness and sincerity did put four persons called Quakers to death for no other cause but that they were of that profession and returned to that place after they had banished them for worshiping God as the● were perswaded in their consciences a crime more barbarous and cruell then I have heard of committed by any called Prote●tants upwards of some scores of years also how cometh it that so many in this Nation are become Quakers so called who were Presbyteriants and immediatly out of the Presbyterian way came to be Quakers and some who were once of the Episcopall way left it and became Presbyterians and afterward Quakers and some from the Episcopall way have immediatly become Quakers but is this a just ground for them of the Episcopall way to conclude that their ●eparation from Episcopacy to Presbytery was such a hainous sin that it provoked the Lord at last to give them up to the strong delusions of the Quakers I am sure the Episcopall men have as good reason to make such a conclusion against the Presbyterians on this bare account of separation yea and the Papists against Protestants for some who are now Quakers were once Papists and afterwards became presbyterians befor they became Quakers Have the Papists therfor just ground to conclude that the separation of those persons from Popery to Presbytery was the sin that provoked God to give them up to the strong delusions of Quakerism I know the● will be as ready to make such a conclusion as the Presbyterians can be but indeed who will view the matter with a spirituall eye will see the wonderfull goodness of God in his leading on the soules of them who most love him out of Babylon by those various steps of separation one degree after another till he hath brought them to Zion 2. These are they who follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth and some of these whom he calleth the ring-leaders of this separation after they had walked faithfully and religiously in that way called in derision Quakerism wich is nothing elce but pure Christianity restored again unto the world by the mighty operation of the power and Spirit of God after so long and so dark a night of Apostasy have finished their course in that way and are now at rest with the Lord in the heavenly mansions who both at their death and many times before gave powerfull and living testimonyes of Gods accepting them and giving them more manyfest